Kromer House
1024 El Pueblo Rd., NW, Albuquerque, NMThe Kromer House is significant as an excellent example of traditional New Mexican adobe architecture primarily constructed in the period when a new appreciation of adobe construction called out the ancient skills of Hispano and Indian craftsmen. While the oldest portion of the house probably dates back to the early years of the 20th century, the remainder, probably constructed in the 1920's and 1930's with a few later additions, continues the detailing, technique, and feeling of the original with great fidelity. Twice fallen into decay, the house has twice been rescued by Anglo-American owners who respected and enhanced its beauty. In 1937, it was purchased and restored by Janet and Tom Kromer, and served as a retreat for the reclusive Tom Kromer, author of an important Depression-era novel, until 1960. By 1962, when it was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Hoshour, the house had again fallen into serious disrepair. Hoshour, an architect, supervised a meticulous restoration, using craftsmen from Santa Ana Pueblo. The house as it now stands owes its austere and simple beauty equally to the work of the Garcia, Martinez, and Lucero families, who built the house over a thirty to forty year period, and to the Kromers, and the Hoshours.
Local significance of the building:Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.